Travel-Bag Survival, a Bizarre ID Arrest and the Great Pie Feud — Today’s Top Stories

Welcome to 5 Things PM. Americans, still coping with years of rising prices, are heading into the 2025 holiday shopping season braced for tougher bargains and heavier crowds — and early indicators suggest the shopping surge could be stronger than expected on paper.

Protect Your Luggage

Flight delays and cancellations grab headlines, but lost or damaged luggage can ruin a trip just as quickly. Before you leave home, tag your bags with durable identification, photograph contents, and consider sturdy locks or tamper-evident straps. At the airport, arrive early, confirm tags at check-in and keep valuables in carry-on. If a bag is lost or damaged, file a report immediately with the airline and keep receipts for any replacement purchases.

A Strange Arrest After an ID Renewal

When an elderly woman came to renew her identification, staff noticed unusual details — including dark hair on her neck and chin. Officials then uncovered a situation that led to a peculiar arrest and an ongoing investigation. Authorities have released limited details as they continue to clarify what happened.

Women Trafficked Into Scam Compounds

Increasingly, women are being lured with promises of steady, well-paid jobs and then forced to work inside Asia’s notorious scam compounds. Reports describe harsh, tightly controlled conditions and families struggling to secure the release of loved ones. International and regional authorities are under pressure to improve cross-border responses.

Why Women’s Soccer Matters

Women’s soccer is breaking attendance and broadcast-viewership records. Beyond sport, the game is increasingly important culturally — particularly for queer fans and communities who find representation, community and visibility in stadiums and media coverage.

The Great Thanksgiving Pie Debate

Thanksgiving pie preferences spark surprisingly heated debate. Favorites like apple, pecan, rhubarb and boysenberry all have passionate fans, but two historically rooted pies have provoked especially strong arguments over tradition versus taste.

Wildlife Moment Off Seattle

Off the coast of Seattle a dramatic scene unfolded when a seal being pursued by killer whales leapt onto a photographer’s boat. The quick move allowed the animal to escape immediate danger and produced striking photos of wildlife behavior and human-wildlife interaction.

Top Briefs

• President directs a special envoy to meet with Vladimir Putin to push peace talks forward.
• Federal investigators seek to interview Democratic lawmakers tied to a controversial video.
• A missing Virginia football coach is now wanted on child pornography and other charges, according to police.

Culture, Policy and Tech

From fashion to geopolitics: oversized sleeves and bold silhouettes — once status symbols in early modern European courts — are back as a modern power-dressing statement. Meanwhile, airlines, regulators and lawmakers debate how to curb drunk passenger incidents without clear consensus on solutions. Reports also indicate that Moscow, facing a manpower shortage, has used deception, blackmail and bribery to recruit foreigners for the war in Ukraine. And Pinterest’s aggressive push into artificial intelligence is drawing scrutiny as some analysts say parts of the strategy may be misfiring.

Quick Quiz

Which state did this year’s pardoned turkeys, Gobble and Waddle, come from?
A. South Dakota   B. New Hampshire   C. North Carolina   D. Montana

Answer: C. The turkeys hatched last July in North Carolina and participated in the 78th annual National Thanksgiving Turkey Presentation.

We’ll see you tomorrow with more highlights from around the globe.